Second Chance
by TheGirlWithNoShoes
Summary: Six months after Age of Ultron, Raelynn finds herself in a HYDRA lab with no memories of her past. Her only hope of escape is a particular silver-haired Sokovian.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fic, so please let me know what you think!**

 **Set after Age of Ultron, eventual spoilers.**

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I didn't remember falling asleep. Come to think of it, I didn't remember waking up either. All I knew for certain was that I was locked in some sort of glass case. People were bustling around on the other side of my glass prison, all of them wearing pristine white lab coats. _Scientists_. My heart hammered in my chest, so loud that I wouldn't be surprised if every last person in the room could hear it. However, everyone continued on as if they were completely unaware that there was a living human being being kept prisoner in a giant glass box. A loud clang drew my attention as a metal door was thrown open, colliding with the wall behind it. Another scientist entered, but there was something different about this one. He was short, about 5'6, with thick black hair and square wire-rimmed glasses. He was naturally darker complected, though his features gave no clues as to his nationality. His dark brown eyes scanned over the room and for a second I was afraid that he would see that I was awake. However, his eyes passed right over me as if he were merely going through the daily motions. He reached into the pocket of his lab coat and brought out a small device, pressing a button and holding it near his mouth before speaking. The scientist scanned the room, analyzing everything that was happening and speaking rapidly into the voice recorder. The man then stepped off the small platform and onto the laboratory floor, inspecting things up close and continuing to record his voice notes. I froze when he neared me, hoping that he wouldn't look close enough to notice me. I closed my eyes as he approached, pretending to still be asleep.

"Of the four subjects in my care," I heard his voice ring out with a strong accent which I could not place, "two of them have survived the initial treatment.

My heart began hammering in my chest again. What this scientist just said implied that I had been _experimented on_. I felt like I was going to be sick. Suddenly, a beeping came from my fish bowl of a prison, and I could practically feel every lab tech's eyes land on me.

"She's awake," I could hear murmured throughout the lab. "Finally," a couple of them said. _Tattle-tale_ , I thought angrily at my fish bowl. I snapped my eyes open and they landed on a man who looked to be locked in a glass prison cell, his hands pressed against the transparent wall and his pale blue eyes peeking out beneath his silver hair. A light-haired lab tech opened my fish bowl like it was a tanning bed, the pressure differences making an audible _whoosh_. Before I could process what was happening, I was being hauled up by my arms, and I panicked, kicking and thrashing with all of my might. The silver-haired man was slamming his fists against his cell, yelling at the techs that were manhandling me.

"Put her in Cell Two," I heard the dark-haired scientist say from behind me. I fought harder at that, there was no way in hell that I was going to go from one prison to another. I was actually doing pretty well until I felt a sharp pinch in my neck and a sickening cold spread throughout my body. The last thing I saw before the darkness took me was the dark-haired scientist's superior, shit-eating grin.

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I woke up to tight, sore muscles and a cold, hard floor. Sitting up, I found that I was in another glass box, this time big enough to be called a cell. I grumbled and attempted to rub the kinks out of my neck.

"Well, it looks like Sleeping Beauty has finally woken from her slumber," a thickly accented voice came from beside me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell that it was Silver Boy who was speaking.

"Yeah, thanks for not trying to wake me with a kiss, Russia. I'd hate to have to hurt you." Silver Boy placed his hand over his heart and made a face like I had just personally offended him.

"Russia?" He asked, bewildered. "Russia? For your information, I am Sokovian."

"Hmm, never heard of it." I reached up to massage my temples, trying to rid myself of the headache that was forming. "So, Russia, do you know why we're here? What do they want with us?"

"I don't know." He dropped his head against the shared wall dividing our cells. "The last thing I remember is fighting Ultron- this crazy, genocidal robot- in Sokovia. I... I think I died."

"That makes no sense," I say, scooting closer to the wall. "You can't be alive if you died."

"I know," Russia said. "And please, stop calling me Russia. My name is Pietro."

"Okay, Pietro. Would calling you Sokovia get your little Russian underpants out of their twist?" At that, Pietro cracked a crooked half smile.

"Only if you tell me your name, grey eyes." I opened my mouth to tell him, but I came up with a blank.

"I- I don't remember," I said, exasperated. "All I've got is the letter R. Maybe... I think it's Raelynn."

"Okay, Sleeping Beauty. Let's bust out of here before Head Honcho gets back."

"How?" I asked. "We'll never outrun them. They probably have trucks and planes and- why are you smirking like that?"

"No reason," Pietro responded, still smirking deviously. "I just happen to know a way that we can outrun all of that."

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 **Sorry it's on the short side, I just didn't know where else to end this. Please feel free to review with critiques and ideas. Let me know if I should continue.**

 **Love you all so much! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! Seven follows! Thanks so much, guys! Every last one of you who read my story are amazing and I love you!**

 **Language warning.**

 **Also, I don't own any of the Marvel characters, only my OC and any other unrecognizable characters.**

 **Without any more delays, here's chapter two! :)**

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"Whatever kind of hallucinogenic you're on, I want none of it."

"I'm serious," Pietro said, running his hand through his silver hair. "I can run as fast as the speed of sound."

"Sure you can, Frosty Tips," I said, unconvinced. "And I can control people's minds."

"My sister can do that!" Pietro replied, his face brightening at the mention of his sister. "I'll introduce you when we get out of here. She'll love you."

"Oh, sure. And I bet we can braid each other's hair and talk about boys and have pajama party sleepovers," I sassed. "Honestly, Sokovia. We're stuck here unless if you can come up with a _realistic_ way of getting us out. Starting with getting out of these damn boxes."

"You don't do well in small spaces, do you?" Pietro asked sincerely. "I don't either, if that makes you feel better. I feel like it's slowly getting smaller and I'm slowly going to start suffocating." I half chuckled, shaking my head.

"I have no problem with small spaces, I just don't like being held against my will. It makes me feel small and helpless and I hate it."

"Then let's get you out," Pietro said, hauling himself from his place next to me on the floor. "It looks like almost everyone is out to lunch. We only have ten lackies to get through. It'll be easy."

"Oh yeah, sure. Let's just sneak past ten men who can easily just stick us with some sort of drug and shove us back here where we started. Piece of hypothetical cake." I roll my eyes and cross my arms, waiting for whatever stupid argument the Sokovian was going to try to make next.

"Whatever. I'll prove to you that I can get us out," he said cockily. "Just don't blink."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Silver Boy." At this, Pietro cracked another half smile and walked to the front of his cell, making sure none of the scientists were looking before he turned around and-became a blur. Before I knew it, Pietro had broken through the glass of the back wall of his cell simply by running at it. Through it. At the _speed of sound_. "What the hell..." I murmured, still in awe of what I had just witnessed.

Pietro was walking toward the door to my cell, murmuring something under his breath that sounded like "Not as strong as Strucker's." Apparently, the doors to our cells weren't locked from the outside, allowing Pietro to simply open the door and walk in. He approached me, holding out his hand as if to help me up. For some reason something in me snapped. I scooted myself along the floor, pressing my back against the far wall as a way to put as much space between the silver-haired Sokovian and I as possible.

"What the hell are you?" I asked, staring into his ice blue eyes. I couldn't help but see the pain flash in them before they became soft and he kneeled down, still reaching his hand to me as if he were trying to calm a scared animal. Oh wait, that was how I was acting.

"I'm just like you, just... enhanced," he said gently. "Just stay calm and I will get you out of here."

"I will not keep calm," I hissed. "I will raise hell and break shit. Did they do this to you? Whoever _they_ are?" The slight tensing of his shoulders gave me the only answer I needed. "They did, Didn't they?"

"Yes."

"Let's go break some shit."

"You have a foul mouth, you know that?" Pietro said, chuckling. I put my hand in his.

"Yeah, you'll get used to it."

"I'm sure I will," Pietro said, pulling me to his chest and picking me up like I weighed nothing. I barely had time to register what was happening before we were out of my cell, through the large metal door, up some stairs, through some tunnels, and outside. The cool night air felt amazing on my clammy face, but it did nothing to help my insides.

"Hold up," I said as soon as Pietro put me down, "we need to go back. I think I left my stomach down there."

"You'll get used to it," Silver Boy laughed as he stood in front of me.

"I'm sure I won't," I replied, already feeling a migraine developing. Pietro laughed harder at that and I stabilized myself by placing a hand on his arm. _Holy shit, this boy has muscles_ , I couldn't help but think. However, my legs were wobbling so much that I couldn't stand without his support and I felt about ready to empty my stomach on the grass in front of me.

"It'll get better in time. You are handling it better than Wanda did her first time." _Oh_ , I thought, _Wanda. He's taken then. Damn_. "We should get going before-" Lights suddenly surrounded us, and the sound of about fifty cocking guns filled the air.

"Before that happens?" Pietro looked at me, desperation written all over his face. "Go," I told him. "Find Wanda. Tell her you're alive. I can handle myself."

"But-"

"No." I interrupted him. "There's no way I can go through another speed race. Please, Sokovia, go. I'll be fine." He gently placed his hand on my cheek before running off in a silvery blue blur. His blur was followed my multiple gunshots, though I knew none of them would hit him. Suddenly feeling all the guns returning to me, I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"Come at me, motherfuckers." Not a good idea when there are fifty snipers all pointing loaded guns at you. Nevertheless, I still said it. Damn my lack of a filter.

"Do not harm the subject!" A vaguely familiar voice rang out through the ranks. "I repeat, do not harm the subject!" The dark-skinned Head Honcho scientist pushed his way through the group of soldiers. I've got to tell you, seeing a short, skinny, weak, dorky-looking man attempt to shove his way aggressively through trained military soldiers has got to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Not that I remember anything before waking up, but that is not my point.

"Look, I don't know how to put this nicely, so I won't. You, sir, an asshat. And I hate you."

"Great," Head Asshat said. He's German, I finally identified his accent. Definitely German. "Now, if you would come with me, please."

The last thing I remember is two men grabbing my arms and another hitting me over the head with the butt of his gun.

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 **Thanks for reading! Please follow, favorite, or review if you want me to keep going on this story! (Only if you want to follow, favorite, and review, I'm not that crazy kind of person who won't write until I get one, you know?)**

 **Anyway, thank you so, so much for your support! See you next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much to all of my followers and readers! You guys are great! I'm actually surprised anyone is reading this story...**

 **Language warning.**

 **Trigger warning: slight mention of torture.**

 **I own only my OC and any unrecognizable characters and plotlines, the rest belongs to Marvel.**

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Unsurprisingly, I found myself back in my glass cell. This time there was a man standing in front of me when I awoke.

"Well, this is a nice change of scenery," I said, sitting up and rubbing the large bump on my head. It was still delicate.

"It's a prison cell," the man deadpanned.

"I was being sarcastic."

"No, you were being a smartass. No one likes a smartass."

"Hey, if you're going to be an ass, you might as well be a smart one." The man stared at me as if I was crazy. I accepted the challenge head on and stared him down in retaliation. His long brown hair was down in messy waves that ended at his shoulders and his grey eyes matched the gleaming metal of his left arm. His face was hard, it looked as if he hadn't smiled in ages and his chin was covered in well-kept stubble. Why would someone maintain stubble? I'm getting off topic. Good ol' Metal Arm was wearing the very fashion-forward look of all black. I swear, he needed a personal stylist. All black and a resting bitch face like that makes no one want to talk to you. Good thing I didn't have a problem with that.

"I don't like smartasses. I don't have the time nor patience for them. If you try to be smart with me one more time, I will not hesitate to shoot you in the knee. I would love to shoot you in the head, but Dr. Heinz wants you alive. Said you'd be important for some reason. I'm almost glad, because that means that I get to watch you suffer."

If looks could kill, he'd have been hanged, staked, buried, dug up, and then staked again for good measure. _Don't say something stupid. Don't say something you'll regret. Don't do it._

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "As far as I know, I'm delightful." _Damn it. I cannot cut myself a break, can I?_

"I'll inform the doctor that you're ready," Metal Arm said before turning and stalking away from my cell. I knew without a doubt that I had gotten myself in deep, and now there was no turning back and no silver-haired enhanced to save me this time. In a matter of minutes, the Head Asshat was standing in front of me, spewing sciencey shit while his little lackeys were furiously taking notes on fancy little handheld devices as big as their heads. Something I hadn't seen before.

"Soldier, please escort Subject One to the examination room," I could hear Heinz's annoying German accent filling the room as if he were some sort of god. I have never hated someone so intensely as I hated that man. He locked his dark brown gaze on mine. "I look forward to breaking you." With that, he turned around and strutted down a long hallway of which I could not see the end.

My cell door opened with a harsh beeping sound and before I could even turn around, a cold metal hand had gripped my arm, whirled me around, and proceeded to drag me out the door. Soldier guy's metal hand was so cold that I felt like I was going to get frostbite, but I kept my big mouth shut about it. It must have been a sore subject for him and I didn't want to piss the intimidating man off any more than I already had. I couldn't help it though, with my hatred for awkward silences and my growing anxiety, I only made it about halfway down the hundred-foot hallway before I had to say something.

"Hey, Mister Metal Arm Soldier? Can I ask a favor of you?" All I got was an unamused growl from the man beside me and a slight tightening of his grip on my arm. "If I die tonight, donate all of my organs to those in need, except for my middle finger. Save that for the good doctor." The soldier slowed his brisk pace slightly at this and slackened his grip once more. After another agonizing minute of silence, we were mere feet from the door. It was a large, hefty-looking army green metal door that looked like it belonged in a high school in the 90's.

"Don't let them see your fear," Metal Arm hissed in my ear before he opened the door and shoved me through it.

In the middle of the room was a metal table, the type that coroners perform autopsies on. This did not calm my nerves whatsoever, if anything it only made them worse. Keeping my head up, I walked as calmly as I could to the table, trying not to pay attention to the dried blood on the walls or the sharp knives and other various instruments that were lined up on small metal rolling tables. It was by far the most agonizing ten foot walk of my life. Nothing about the room was welcoming. My bare feet were cold against the hard cement floor, and the bright light reflecting off of the old white tile on the wall made this feel like a torture chamber. I was going to die in a torture chamber. Taking a deep breath, I turned and hoisted myself up onto the table so that I was sitting and staring at a large one-way mirror in the wall opposite me. _Great. People are going to watch me while I'm being tortured. Hooray for me._

I did not put up a fight when four men came and pushed me down onto the table; when they strapped my arms and legs down and put a gag in my mouth. I did not struggle when Dr. Heinz picked up a scalpel and cut into my chest, no aesthetic, but I screamed like hell. I simply closed my eyes and screamed for hours as I was poked, prodded, and tortured for hours on end. At one point, I opened my eyes and rolled my head to the side to look into the one-way mirror. Was Metal Arm on the other side of that glass? I didn't know, but of one thing I was certain.

They can torture me, they can have the joy of killing me, but they won't have the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

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 **Thanks for reading, guys! As always, feel free to favorite, follow, and review!**

 **This is a fast update because I was feeling strangely inspired today. The next update will probably be out tomorrow or Saturday night. No promises, though. See you next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys! *peeks out from behind Captain Dorito* I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, life kind of happened and then I got writer's block... I tried to make this one longer for you guys, but I also didn't want to run out of things to write in the next chapter.**

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 **Pietro POV**

"Please, Sokovia, go. I'll be fine." I can still hear Raelynn's words echoing through my head. I shouldn't have left, but I knew that it was my only chance of getting out and now I'm her only chance. Whatever they're going to do to her, it'll be on my head if I don't save her in time.

I could only stand by and watch as two men grabbed the potty-mouthed blonde while a third hit her over the head with the butt of their gun. I wanted to go back for her. Something snapped in me when I heard her cry out as the gun connected with her head and I could only watch as Raelynn slumped over, blood gleaming red in her ash blonde hair. Before I changed my mind, I turned and sped away from the scene, clenching my jaw in anger. Before I knew it, I was on the outskirts of town, if this tiny splotch of civilization could even be called a town. According to the green sign, we were in Plevna, Kansas, population: 98. Turning, I aimed myself in the direction I guessed northeast to be, and continued running. I knew Stark tower was in New York, and that was the first place that I would look for the Avengers. They followed Stark around like lap dogs, so of course they probably made home in his self-named tower. _Three days_ , I thought to myself. _There and back to save her in three days._

Two and a half hours later, I found myself tired and wobbly-legged in a bar in Kansas City. I didn't know much about American geography, but I knew that I still had a hell of a long way to go.

"Hey there, Puddin'," a friendly looking redhead said from behind the bar as I sat down, "what can I get for 'ya?"

"Whatever's the cheapest," I grumbled, realizing that I didn't have any money.

"Short on cash, eh, Sugar?" _Something like that_ , I thought. Then a thought came to me. You don't have to have Wanda's mind manipulation powers to get something.

"Girlfriend just kicked me out," I said, the lie flying off of my tongue as I tried to play up my weariness. "She took my wallet and my car and left me to walk here from Lawrence," picking a random name of a town I'd passed on my way here. "All I have to my name is one dollar." The waitress's brown eyes softened and a sympathetic frown grew across her freckled face.

"Now why would she do something like that?" She asked, leaning down on the bar obviously so she could show off her cleavage. _Fine, I'll play along._

"She thought I wasn't worth her time anymore." I leaned on the bar, putting my head in my hands. "And you know what the worst thing is? I came all the way from Russia to be with her, and she left me stranded with nothing. My parents are dead and my sister will not speak to me. I'm between jobs. I'm completely on my own." I silently thanked whoever was listening for my thick accent and people's inability to differentiate Russian and Sokovian accents.

"Oh, Sweetie, you don't need her. My name's Lizzie and you go ahead and order whatever you want. It's on the house."

"Oh, no I cannot just take a meal from you. At least let me write an IOU, as you call it." I argue, hoping and praying that she will insist on paying for my meal.

"I won't take an IOU, but I'll settle for your name," she flashed me a smile.

"Erik." Fake name.

"Well, Erik, you look over the menu and I'll come back and get you whatever you want," Lizzie said with a wink. _Ugh, you might as well just sit on my lap and attack my mouth and you'd be less obvious with your intentions than you are being right now._ I fought the urge to roll my eyes as she sauntered away, purposely trying to show off her butt. As much as I hate to say it, having girls throw themselves at me was a lot more fun before I died.

Half an hour later, Lizzie dropped the biggest plate of food I've ever seen in front of me. I didn't even have time to see how good it looked before I started tearing into it. I was currently shoving a quarter-pounder cheeseburger in my face while debating what to eat next, the corn on the cob, or the heaping pile of french fries that was left on my plate. I paused halfway through the burger to drain the entire glass of water before finishing the sandwich. I decided to eat the corn next, eating the entire cob in about two minutes, and I was eating like a sloth. I downed another glass of water before moving on to my fries, finally feeling my energy return. I ate the fries quickly, shaking my legs under the bar to keep them from cramping like they always do if I sit still for too long. Lizzie came back for the sixth time during my meal to take my glass and fill my water one more time, but by the time she was back with it, I was long gone. I had a timeline to keep.

I ran for another four hours before I needed to stop again, this time finding myself in a small town in Iowa called Waverly. I slowed to a light jog as I neared the edge of town, looking for any abandoned houses or barns to sleep in. The sun was coming up and I can't run very well with everyone being able to see me. I might set someone off that I'm here and put innocent people in danger. Eventually, I came across a farm that seemed like it might as well be in the literal middle of nowhere and while the house looked inhabited, it looked like I could hide out in the barn until the afternoon. I zoom over to the barn and open the large sliding door just far enough for me to slip in. The first thing I was met with was an old beat-up green tractor and a filthy dust and dirt floor. _Better than nothing, I guess._ I keep walking until I find a convenient pile of hay and buried myself as far down as I dared before drifting off to sleep.

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"Don't you dare move, punk." I felt something cold on the back of my neck. "You almost gave my wife a heart attack. I spilled my coffee. Dropped it. Fucking broke my favorite mug." _I know that voice._

"Hey there, old man. Long time, no see," I say, turning around slowly as not to alarm the archer.

"Speedy?" Clint Barton lowered his bow.

"The one and only." I sit up and can't help the giant grin that spreads across my face.

"But I saw you die. You took eleven bullets for me."

"I'm just harder to get rid of than your average Sokovian," I say, standing up. Before I know it, Clint attacks me in a strangely fatherly bear hug.

"I missed you, you quick little bastard," he chuckled and I joined him, remembering when I left him to run on his own back in Sokovia.

"As I hear, the Captain does not like that sort of language," I said, earning a punch on the shoulder from Clint.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my family."

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 **So, I tried to write this chapter from Pietro's point of view and I know it's a little choppy and sped along, but that's how I feel like Pietro thinks. Nothing moves fast enough for him, so I tried to reflect that in my writing. Let me know how you guys like it and if I should continue switching PoV's.**

 **Thank you so much for reading and please feel free to continue following and favoriting (I don't know if I spelled that right, I've been staring at it for ten minutes and I think I've gone mad) and don't be afraid to drop a review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm not dead! I thought for sure college would kill me but I'm still alive (barely). I'm going to try to be better at updating this, but I make no promises.**

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 **Pietro POV**

"Laura?" Clint called as he opened the door to his little farmhouse.

"Is he gone?" came the worried voice of a woman from the next room. The archer chuckled.

"Yes, ma'am, the big scary barn man is taken care of."

"Good, because-OH MY GOD!" The woman I assumed to be Laura screamed when she came into the room and saw me. I couldn't help but laugh seeing as she dropped another one of the old man's mugs of coffee, shattering it on the floor.

"You owe me two mugs now, kid." Clint said, striding over to comfort his wife. "Laura, this is Pietro Maximoff. Speedy, this is my wife Laura." Clint's arm wrapped around Laura's waist as her eyes went wide trying to understand what was happening.

"Pietro? But he's supposed to be dead. How?"

"To be honest, I do not know. One minute I am in Sokovia, next I wake up in a lab. Makes no sense." Clearly, my explanation did not help the situation whatsoever, because Laura's face became pale and she quickly excused herself to go check on a Nate.

"A lab, huh?" Barton asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter.

"Yes. And I need you to call Stark. Get the Avengers. Someone is in trouble."

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 **Raelynn POV**

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know." Something hard collided with my ribs.

"Where did you send him?"

"I didn't send him anywhere. Now if you could stop hitting me, that'd be greatly appreciated." This time, the solid object collided with my stomach, making me double over in pain. At least as much as one can double over while their hands are chained above their head.

"Let's try something different, hm?" Dr. Heinz said, trying to sound intimidating.

"Sure thing, Doofenshmirtz. Different is good." My head snapped to the side as the doctor's hand connected with my face. I silently thanked any God who was listening for the blindfold that they had tied tightly around my head as tears sprung into my eyes. I could talk big but when it really came down to it, I was terrified and in pain. _At least Pietro got out alive._

"Soldier, watch her." Heintz demanded as his footsteps retreated.

"Yes, sir." Metal Arm replied before the door slammed shut. After a long pause, he finally addressed me. "How do you feel?"

"It hurts," I moan. I can taste blood in my mouth.

"Being beaten will do that to you," he replied, I could practically hear the smirk on his lips.

"Don't be sarcastic. I'm the one in pain, remember?" At that, he let out a small chuckle.

"Sorry, didn't mean to steal your thunder there, kid."

"My name's not _kid_ ," I stated, making sure my disgust with the nickname was evident.

"While you're in here, it is. The less they think you know, the safer you'll be. Trust me." The door once again opened and closed and I could sense now that I was alone in this hellhole.

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 **Pietro POV**

"So you're saying that this Raelynn girl is still being held in this underground lab in whatever, Kansas?" Tony Stark said, pressing all sorts of buttons on the dash of the quinjet.

"Yes. She insisted that I leave her and I did, so that I could get help," I explained for what felt like the eightieth time.

"How do we know she wasn't playing you? She could be working for HYDRA," Captain America said from his seat.

"She wasn't. I just know."

"How do we know that you aren't just leading us on a wild goose chase? I mean, Plevna, Kansas? That's essentially the literal middle of nowhere," the billionaire called from the cockpit. I heaved a sigh. Of course it was only me, Rogers, Stark, and Natasha Romanoff going on this mission. I couldn't even tell Wanda I was alive. By the time I got food in me, Stark had arrived in the quinjet and hauled me off for the short flight to Kansas. That was something that would just have to wait.

By the time we had landed, I had practically speed-paced a hole in the floor of the jet. I just wanted to run. I wanted to grab Raelynn and get out as fast as possible. I wanted the sassy blonde safe then I wanted to go bash the doctor's head in.

Stark landed the quinjet near the entrance to the lab. The only thing around was dust and cornfield. The entrance to the lab, now that I see it in the daylight, is a small shed nestled in a small group of trees. It was completely inconspicuous unless you knew what to look for. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Captain America pick up his shield and Black Widow check her guns. I could hear Stark clunking around in his suit. As the door to the quinjet opened, I could only think of one thing.

Whatever happened, I knew that Raelynn was going to be alright.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the wait, guys! College has been keeping me very well occupied while it's kicking my butt. Anyway, I finally got a new chapter for you!**

 **Warning: Depressive thoughts, slight language, angry Pietro**

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 **Raelynn POV**

The cold, dark room made me shiver, but I keep my mouth shut when the guard asks if I'm cold. What I feel doesn't matter anymore; I'm nothing more than glass waiting for someone to shatter me. I had no idea how long I'd been there, strapped to that chair, letting my tears soak my blindfold and run in streams down my face until I had no more left to shed. I hadn't slept in what felt like years and I could still feel the sting of Heinz's knife cutting into me. Whatever he did, it left a trail of blazing pain from my collarbone to the crevice between my breasts, right over my heart. With every breath I took, the pain spread and now I can't even tell the difference between the pain and the numbness that had completely overtaken my mind. Every thought I had just vanished as quickly as it came, and if I was not wearing the blindfold, I'm sure I would have been staring off numbly into space.

By this point, I almost wanted them to kill me.

When the shouting started, I barely heard it over the sound of silence that was overtaking my mind. I dismissed the yelling quickly, knowing that it was not involving me. I didn't even react when the door banged open, quickly followed by the sound of something hitting the ground with a great thud.

"Oh my God," I could barely hear the man's voice say, "Raelynn."

* * *

 **Pietro POV**

Breaking into the lab was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Many men scattered as soon as they saw the Captain. Even more ran off when they caught sight of Natasha.

"These are HYDRA soldiers, why are they running," Steve asked through the comms.

"Because they're not soldiers," Natasha replied. "They're scientists. From the Red Room."

I did not know what the Red Room was, but I could tell from the way she spat the words out, that it was horrible. I had lost sight of the rest of the team as I ran inside and down the stairs toward the main chamber that Raelynn and I had first been held in. However, the blonde was not there. Almost nothing was. The tank that had held Raelynn's unconscious body was now gone, as well as many of the monitors that had been hooked up to it. _The scientists were a distraction_ , I realized, _so that they could get the equipment out undetected_.

"The scientists were distraction," I said through the comms, pressing my finger to my ear as I was still not used to wearing one. "They were moving equipment out. I do not know why, but it must be important." I didn't give them time to reply before zooming off to search other parts of the underground facility. All I wanted to do was find Raelynn.

"Does this mean that HYDRA and the Red Room are working together?" Steve's concerned voice echoed through my ear. None of us had a response, but it was an unspoken agreement. They were.

I found myself in a long hallway, guarded my multiple men with guns. I felt a smirk play on my lips before I took off at a run and knocked one of the men closest to me unconscious. The shouting only began once I got back to my hiding place and the other soldiers had noticed what had happened. I couldn't discern exactly what they were saying, but I didn't have enough patience to wait and see what they were yelling about. Taking a deep breath, I ran out from the wall of the adjacent hallway that I had been hiding behind and proceeded to knock all ten of the military men out in all of two seconds. Not taking any time to celebrate my victory, I went on, only stopping when I came in front of a large closed door at the end of the hallway.

I hardly had a second to catch my breath before I opened the door, quickly engaging the guard. It didn't take long for me to hit his head hard enough against the hard brick wall to knock him unconscious. Turning around, my eyes landed on a small, crumpled body and my heart nearly stopped. There, beaten and bloody, tied to a chair, was Raelynn. Many of her bruises were already a dark purple, nearly black color, the most prominent of which being a hand print on her left cheek. She was blindfolded, and tears rolled softly down her face in a peaceful manner, rather than violent. They slid down her cheeks easily like streams of silent acceptance. She was bound to a chair by her hands and feet, the ropes rubbing her skin raw to the point that they bled.

"Oh my God," I whispered in disbelief, "Raelynn." I approached her slowly, my mind still reeling in shock. She flinched at the sound of my footsteps, and I didn't miss the look of fear that crossed her face before it returned to her previous indifference. I rushed forward and began to untie her feet. When I finished with untying her hands, however, Raelynn did not move. She merely remained in the chair with her arms resting on the arms of the chair and her ankles still touching the legs as if she were still tied down. _She must be in shock_ , I realized. I moved forward, placing my arms under her shoulders and behind her knees, lifting her and making sure her head was resting on my shoulder. She was lighter than she was two days ago, her body seeming smaller also. My heart sunk; I shouldn't have left her here. If I had just taken her with me, everything would have been okay. She would have been okay.

"I got her," I said, hoping that my comm worked. "Returning to quinjet now."

"All right. Fall back, guys. Nat, finish downloading everything on those computers. Stark, clean up. I'll meet you back at the jet." Everyone went about their tasks in silence and I look down, checking on Raelynn before running back to the clearing in which we parked the quinjet. I boarded the ship, laying the small blonde down on a cot before taking the blindfold off. Her eyes were closed, dark circles surrounding them as if she hadn't slept in weeks. I sighed, stumbling back until my back hit the wall. This was all my fault. If only I hadn't left her.

"What happened?" Cap asked as he boarded the jet. Of all of us, he was the only one with in-the-field medical expertise.

"It-it looks like they tortured her," I said, my voice wavering as I fought to get the words out.

"Looks like she has a bit of blood loss and some broken ribs," the soldier said, his large hands gently pressing against her fragile ribcage. "Sleep deprivation and malnutrition, too."

"How?" I ask angrily, my accent becoming thicker in my rage. "She was there two days. How can she be... be like this?"

"Pietro, we have no idea how long she was actually there. It could have been weeks, even years for all we know," Rogers placed a hand on my shoulder, attempting to talk me down. "All we can do now is heal her up."

"Friday, contact Dr. Cho for me, see if you can get her to the Training Facility." I gritted my teeth, trying my best not to be angry at Stark. I took a deep breath and pushed my hatred to the back of my mind; I'd confront that another day.

"I'm going to kill every one of those bastards," I growled, turning to stomp out of the quinjet when a smirking redheaded Russian was standing in my way.

"Shut the door, Rogers. Stark can find his own way back," Natasha said, brushing past me. "And didn't Steve here tell you that he didn't like that kind of language?"

* * *

 **This is the longest chapter I have written so far, and I really hope you guys are liking this story. If you have any critiques or suggestions, feel free to drop a review (it'd make my day)!**

 **I tried to end this on a bit of a light Natasha joke, seeing as the rest of the chapter is kind of dark. (I'm a fan of angst, sorry...)**

 **See you guys next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys! Sorry it's been so long, but I literally had no ideas about what to write. Now, after watching AoU like twenty times, I got enough inspiration to write a chapter (finally)!**

* * *

 **Pietro POV**

I tried to keep my distance as Steve worked on Raelynn but I quickly found that I couldn't. I watched over his shoulder as he used tweezers to pick the coarse rope fibers from the wounds on her wrists. I watched as he washed her wounds and wrapped them in bandages. I paced in my nervousness, but I couldn't stray far from the table where Raelynn lay. Once the Captain did all he could for her wounds, he turned, gave me a tight smile, and patted me on the shoulder as he swaggered away to give us some space. Heaving out a sigh, I turn and sit in one of the chairs by the table and lean forward, placing my elbows on the very edge of the table and dropping my head into my hands. I was always a womanizer, I know, but why was I so attached to this girl after such little time? Was it the way she seemed so vulnerable when she slept just on the other side of the glass from me that I felt the inherent need to protect her? The way she had a wit almost faster than I could run? Raelynn's quick quips kept running through my mind on a loop.

 _"Thanks for not trying too wake me with a kiss, Russia. I'd hate to have to hurt you."_

 _"Whatever kind of hallucinogenic you're on, I want none of it."_

 _"Wouldn't dream of it, Silver Boy."_

 _"I will not keep calm. I will raise hell and break shit."_

Maybe she caught my attention when she first got out of her incubation chamber, the first glimpse of her I saw. She was so different from everyone else I'd ever seen. The people in Sokovia had a kind of look about them, with hard, dark features. Raelynn was like the moon, all light hair, pale skin, delicate features, and silvery grey eyes. She also had fight; a fire burning deep within that would not be extinguished. It was most likely the flame that drew me in. Wanda had always been the level-headed one, the one that could talk her way out of a fight while I was the one that was blindly running into any fight I could find. I had been the one to introduce her to the riots, who begged her to volunteer with me. It was my fault we were the way we were but Wanda kept her kind, caring nature all the same. Raelynn seemed to be a combination of both of our temperaments; always ready to pick a fight but levelheaded enough to walk away. She also had a distinct sadness about her, though she covered it well. I could see the flash of sadness in her eyes when she found out how I got my powers. For once, I wish I had received the look of pity that I had gotten from the Avengers. From that look, I knew she had experienced pain, though I knew she would deny it if I asked her.

If she even woke up.

Seeing her pale skin marred with cuts and littered with bruises made me clench my teeth in anger. I should have taken her with me. She would have been safe. This never would have happened. I looked at her thickly bandaged wrists and knew what lied beneath was due to torture. Most likely because of me. Pushing the chair back roughly, I stood, no longer being able to sit alone with my thoughts. I needed to speak to Wanda. She always knew how to get me away from the ledge when I was about to lose myself to my anger. I needed to speak to my twin.

"How much longer?" I asked impatiently, walking up to the cockpit that contained the Black Widow and Captain Rogers.

"Landing in five minutes. Think you can handle the wait, speedy?" Natasha asked without turning around. I could practically hear the playful smirk she forced to her lips in an attempt to ease the tension I had built in the ship.

"I hate waiting," I mumbled before turning around and taking a seat near the end of the jet so I could get out as soon as possible. I needed to be away from Raelynn for a while, to clear my head. My legs began cramping so I bounced them to relieve the knotting muscles. After what felt like a lifetime, I could hear the thud of the landing gear hitting the ground and I stood up, ready to rush out as soon as the door opened. Instead, I was met my Dr. Helen Cho and her team running in and yelling medical things to one another.

"Can the chamber fix her?" I heard the Captain ask. I waited; I needed to hear Cho's reply.

"Maybe. If the Cradle were still intact I know it would, but with only the portable chamber in working order, I don't have any idea how much it would heal her deeper wounds."

Once again, I clenched my jaw and sped off, eager to find my sister.

* * *

I found her in a small room that seemed to be a meeting room of some sort. She looked so different, though little things were still very much the same. She had dyed her hair a lighter, almost auburn color, and she had let up on the eyeliner though she still wore her dark nail polish and ridiculous amount of rings. With a start I noticed that she was still wearing the red leather jacket I had thrown at her the day we fought Ultron. The day I died. She wore it zipped closed now, with matching red leather pants and boots to go with it. She looked so much older now, and I could see her sadness and pain in the way she carried herself. She didn't know I was alive. For a moment, I debated whether or not to open the door and disturb her, as she appeared very caught up in whatever she was reading. In the end, my own desire to see my twin won out and I swung the door open, unable to stand outside any longer.

"Go away," she said, without looking up from whatever it was she was reading.

"Wanda," I said, trying to get her to look at me.

"Go away. Pietro's dead. You're nothing more than a ghost I've created in my head."

"Wanda," I said, hurt. "It's really me. I'm alive." She continued to ignore me, and I snapped. "LOOK AT ME!" I bellowed, slamming my hands down onto the table so hard they stung. Wanda looked up and I could see her eyes flash red when they met mine. I felt the familiar tingle of her presence in my mind, and I saw tears spring to her eyes.

"Pietro?" She asked, before running and jumping into my arms. I held my twin close, fighting back tears of my own while hers wetted my shirt. "You were dead," she sniffled as she pulled away to look at my face. "I felt you die." She placed her hand on my cheek just like Raelynn did before I left her like a coward. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"I do not know how I am alive, but I am glad that I am."

"What is the matter?" Wanda asked, knowing immediately that something was wrong. I hesitated.

"It is something I must show you," I said, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her hair. "Come."

It didn't take long for us to find the infirmary area, but that was only because Wanda knew where she was going. She told me which direction to go, refusing to let me out of her sight or let go of my hand, not that I minded. It was nice to finally be with my sister once more. When we arrived, I stopped short when I saw Raelynn. She was laying unconscious still, but every one of her wounds have been unbandaged and I saw for the first time how bad she really was. She had a large, deep gash running from her collarbone to the middle of her chest, right over her heart along with multiple other incisions across her sides and stomach, which were also so badly bruised they appeared black. Her wrists were a deep purple and littered with small cuts where the fibers of the rope were embedded in her skin. Something must have happened because they were bleeding again. Her bottom lip was split open and there was a cut near her right eyebrow. Her ankles were also cut and bruised from being tied but were not nearly as bad as her hands.

Wanda must have felt me tense, because she gently squeezed my hand and leaned closer to whisper to me, "who is she?" I let out a deep breath to calm myself before responding.

"In the place where I was... brought back to life, she was there too. They experimented on us both, but I woke up before she did. She was put in the cell next to me, but when we broke out, she insisted that I leave her there. So I did. Why did I leave her there? I should have just taken her with me. I should have gotten her out." Wanda then gripped my arm and turned me so I would look at her.

"You did nothing wrong, Pietro. You went back for her. You saved her. That's all that matters now. None of this is your fault." I nodded, pretending to agree with my sister before turning back to look at the unconscious blonde before us.

If only Wanda knew how wrong she was.

* * *

 **Okay so that was a little angsty! Just so you know, Pietro's speaking is not as broken as it usually is when he's speaking to Wanda here because they're speaking Sokovian to each other. When he speaks English I like to think that he forgets some words and just leaves them out.**

 **Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story despite the fact that I am literally the worst at updating. Thank you for the follows and favorites and a special thanks to punkrocksunshine for your review! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys, sorry it took so long to update. I got really hooked on a different fandom and had no inspiration to work on this story until I re-watched AoU again earlier today.**

 **Warning: Language**

 **I do not own anything except my OC (Raelynn) and any other unrecognizable characters or plots.**

* * *

 **Raelynn POV**

 _"Granddad!" I called, running as fast as my five-year-old legs could take me. "Granddad!" A pair of arms wrapped around me before I could reach the fallen form of my grandfather and I was soon lifted into the air as a young, dark-haired man kneeled beside him._

 _"Esperanza, get her out of here!" the man yelled before turning his attention back to the fallen man beside him._

 _"Si, Senor Stark. Vamos, ninita," the woman said, her beautiful voice ridden with panic. The last thing I saw as she turned to leave the room with me was the young man on the phone, trying to shake my grandfather awake._

* * *

 _"Esperanza!" I yelled, struggling to breathe through the thick smoke surrounding me. "Donde estas?"_

 _At this point I was lost in the winding hallways of the lab. Stumbling, I tried to get my bearings straight so that I could find a way out, but the fog was so thick that I couldn't see six inches in front of me. Getting on my hands and knees, I tried crawling, calling out for help as loud as I could. I stopped when I heard what sounded like a door being busted open, only to realize too late that it was in fact the sound of machinery breaking apart. I braced myself for impact just as the large panel of computer tech fell, crushing me underneath it._

* * *

 **Pietro POV**

"Pietro, you must calm down," Wanda said, her voice getting louder and softer as I ran the track as fast as I could. "You cannot save everyone." At this, I stopped, skittering to a halt.

"Perhaps not, but I could have saved her. It is my fault that she has been in a coma for three days. I should have taken her with me, but I was so blinded by my desire to see you again that I listened to her, and I should not have. You saw what they did to her. All of that is on me. It is my fault." I spat, panting heavily in an attempt to catch my breath.

"Tony is trying everything he can to-"

"Stark has done nothing!" I interrupted. "He has not even been to see her. He does not care." With that, I took off again, trying desperately to outrun my thoughts.

" _Pietro_ ," Wanda said in my head, " _please_."

" _If you need me, you know where I will be_ ," I thought back, racing off to the medical wing. I have visited Raelynn every day since she has arrived, in what Wanda thinks is an attempt to make it up to her. Honestly, I don't know why I always want to be around this mystery girl, but being around her makes me feel like I am able to breathe and that is something that I have never felt before.

"Hello, my friend," I say to Raelynn's unconscious form as I walk in the room. It is small and white, the only sounds being the constant beeping of the machine tracking her heartbeat. The only color in the room comes from the stupid little coloring pages that the Captain has taped to the wall, saying that they make the room feel more homey. I thought it was a stupid idea, but I didn't say anything, for he and I were the only ones who ever came to see Raelynn aside from the doctors. "I would ask how you are, but we both know the answer to that."

I sat down in the rather uncomfortable chair next to Raelynn's bed, forgetting how hard it was. I winced as my tailbone strikes what feels like a wooden board under the chair's padding. Attempting to find a more comfortable way to sit, I let out a deep sigh of frustration.

"You know, for such a fancy place, the chairs are uncomfortable. I do not think that bed is much better, no?" As always, I was met with silence. I forced myself to look at Raelynn, her ash blonde hair strewn across the pillow and her already pale skin appearing almost translucent. Even her lips, which were naturally tinted a rosy pink, were devoid of color. A wave of guilt rushed over me as the bruises were still very evident on her face and wrists and, I imagine, under her hospital gown. Dr. Cho had told us that although the chamber healed many of her wounds, there were still some that were too deep, and would leave scars. This included one deep cut on her face, where the skin over her left cheekbone had split, leaving a one inch, vertical scar on her otherwise flawless face. We were also told that the gash marring her chest was so deep that the chamber could not do a single thing to heal it, so the doctors had stitched it closed, adding to her scar count. Though the rope marks on her wrists had been healed, Cho stated that there may be a possibility of permanent discoloration to the skin there.

"Do not make me wake you with a kiss, Sleeping Beauty." I chuckled to myself, remembering her response the first time we had ever spoken. "Please come back," I sighed, closing my eyes. "I miss your sass."

"Did you just say you miss my ass?" My eyes shot open. "I thought you were classier than that, Silver Boy." Looking up, my eyes met with the tired yet still shockingly grey ones of Raelynn.

"You are awake!" I exclaimed, rising out of my seat. "Stay here, I will get doctor," I instructed.

As I ran out, I heard her quip, "No, I was going to river dance all the way to Miami." I couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips.

* * *

 **Raelynn POV**

All I could do was nod my head numbly as the beautiful woman who introduced herself as Dr. Cho explained the extent of my injuries. I held my wrist in my hand, my fingers delicately ghosting across the tiny little red scars that littered it. I was covered in bruises and it hurt to even breathe. I couldn't even sit up very well, seeing as I had broken three of my ribs. Thankfully, Pietro was there all the while, sitting in the chair next to my bed and giving me the most supportive smile he could muster up. It didn't seem so bad with him there. After checking the stitches on my chest, Dr. Cho ducked out of the room, suggesting that I get some more sleep.

"I do not understand how you need more sleep, you just woke up," Pietro said in his adorably weird accent.

"It's so that I can heal," I explained.

"I do not see how sleep helps to heal," he said, confused.

"I don't either, but it's doctor's orders," I said, fighting to stay awake. Pietro must have been able to tell because he was starting to pull up the thin sheet covering me, slowly tucking me in.

"Go to sleep, _prznica_. I will be here if you need me."

As I was grasping the last moments of consciousness, I thought I heard him whisper, "I will never leave you again."

* * *

 **Thank you for everyone that still read, followed, and favorited this story while it was on a bit of hiatus!**

 **Please review, it just helps motivate me to keep writing. I like to know whether you guys are enjoying this story or not.**

 **Also, this weird word blurb at the end is my attempt at a nickname for Raelynn. I don't even know how one would go about pronouncing it, but yeah.**

 **Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Raelynn POV**

It had been a week since I first woke up, and the pain hadn't stopped for a second. Sometimes it was hardly even a dull throbbing, but other times it was as if there were thousands of knives stabbing me. Most of my wounds had healed thanks to Dr. Cho's healing chamber; the only one left was the cut on my chest, which Dr. Cho thinks should be healed in another week. Pietro visited me every day, talking to me about anything and everything, occasionally bringing Wanda, who I now know is his twin sister. I still can't seem to wrap my head around that fact. They looked and acted so differently that it was hard to see them as twins, but at the same time it made sense. Wanda was very levelheaded and deeply passionate while Pietro was the careless one who threw himself into the first fight he could find. Pietro was the classic example of the older brother (which he proudly boasted about, "I am twelve minutes older than her, you know.") who cares so deeply and fiercely protects those he cares about, and I greatly admired that. He comes off as an arrogant bastard but once you get to know him, he's a real arrogant sweetheart.

I still don't remember anything about my past, and it doesn't seem as if I ever will. I would never tell Pietro, but it was destroying me. I could feel myself falling into depression and no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't stop myself. It wasn't that I was sad, I was just numb. I couldn't remember what it felt like to be happy, when the last time I truly smiled was. It was as if my life was a movie that I was watching, I knew what was happening but I didn't feel like a part of it. I didn't leave my bed, I slept until noon, but when Pietro came, I always acted as if everything was okay. I knew he already blamed himself for what happened to me, I didn't want to make it any worse.

"Why don't you try taking a shower today, Raelynn?" Dr. Cho asked when she came to check up on me. "It might make you feel better."

"Yeah, maybe" I say, agreeing with her so that she would leave me alone. I did feel disgusting, but I couldn't bring myself to do what Dr. Cho suggested.

I stood there in my white towel, watching the water run into the tub. I tried to keep myself focused, but the flashbacks were too much. _I can't. I can't even stand water_ , I told myself. _How useless am I?_ It wasn't long before I couldn't stand it anymore, and I dropped to my knees, sobbing into my hands.

* * *

 **Pietro POV**

"Good morning, _lijep_ ," I say, letting myself into Raelynn's room. My heart dropped in panic when I saw that she wasn't on her bed like she normally was. I glanced around the room, my heart racing, looking for clues as to where she could have gone. I was about to turn around and race out to get help when I heard a soft sob coming from the bathroom. Creeping closer, I heard yet another sob, almost inaudible over the sound of running water. I knew instantly that something was wrong.

"Raelynn?" I called, knocking on the door. The sobbing stopped, and I knew she was trying to cover it up. "What is wrong, _dragi_?"

"Nothing," came her small voice.

"Can I come in? Are you decent?" The only response I got was a sniffle, but it was good enough for me. I opened the door and I felt sick to my stomach with what I saw. Raelynn was curled up on the floor, wearing nothing more than a towel, with tears staining her beautiful pale cheeks. I rushed over and took her face in my hands, looking into her red-rimmed, tear-stained grey eyes. "What is wrong, _moj mjesec_?"

She shook her head, her ashy blonde hair falling in front of her face, hiding her from me.

"You can tell me. Please let me help you," I pleaded, brushing her hair out of her face, not taking my eyes off of her.

"It... It was when they had me," Raelynn started, and I felt the familiar pang of guilt in my chest. "They wanted to know where you went, and I told them I didn't know." She sniffled and ran the back of her hand across her eye, wiping away some of the tears that were falling. "They didn't believe me, so they tortured me." I knew that she had been tortured but I had no idea it had been because they wanted me. I took her shaking, sobbing form into my arms and held her as close to me as I could. "At one point, they brought in a tub of water. They asked me, 'where did he go' and when I said I didn't know, they would hold my head underwater. Sometimes it was for a second, sometimes until I nearly drowned. I was sure I was going to die. It's the water, Pietro. It brings back the memories." She turned her head and sobbed into my chest. I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through her soft, silky hair.

"How about I help you," I suggest. "I will join you and make sure that no more water is on you than necessary. Is that alright?"

"Promise you won't try anything?" Raelynn asks, still sounding unsure.

"I promise."

"Okay."

I help her up and after making sure the water was the right temperature, I turned on the shower and aimed the head so that the majority of the water would be hitting the wall. When I turned to Raelynn, I saw her nervously fiddling with the top of the towel. My eyes met her silvery grey ones and she quickly dropped the towel before lowering her eyes and bringing her arms up to cover herself.

"Do not bother," I say in the most calming voice I can, "you are beautiful. I did also promise not to try anything, and I mean to keep it." Raelynn simply nodded.

I helped her into the tub and joined her after taking my shirt, shoes, and socks off. When I entered Raelynn was cowering in the corner, trying her hardest not to touch the water. She looked so afraid, my heart broke. Slowly, so she wouldn't be startled, I gently grasped her hand and brought it under the spray of water. She flinched, but kept her composure. I continued to do this until it was time for her to put her head under the water.

"It is okay if you do not want to do it," I told her, but she insisted that it was something she had to do. As soon as Raelynn got her head under the water, she began hyperventilating.

"Wash my hair and get me out of here," she commanded. For once, I did as I was told. As soon as the last drops of shampoo were out of her hair, I picked up her shaking, goosebumped body and ran her out of the bathroom before speeding back in and returning with her towel. While I was turning the water off, Raelynn had gotten dressed in nothing but a pair of underwear and my shirt, which hung slightly past her waist.

"I am so proud of you, _dragi_ ," I told her, placing a kiss on her head before walking toward the door.

"Wait," she called, her voice much stronger than it had been all day. "I was going to take a nap. Will you stay with me?"

Sighing, I walked over to her rather small hospital bed and frowned at the thought of laying on it.

"Only if you come to my room. My bed is more comfortable than this, I am sure."

"Promise not to try anything?" she asked for the second time that day.

"I promise."

* * *

"Tell me a story," Raelynn asked as I carried her into my room and placing her on my bed. The room wasn't quite mine yet, it had still needed my personal touches. The walls were still white and the sheets were a plain grey, no personal belongings in sight. I laid down next to her and she rolled over so that her head was resting on my chest.

"Alright," I said, scouring my memory for a good story. "Have you ever heard the one about the boy and the sea?"

"No."

"Once, there was a boy who lived by the sea. He was always alone and was happy. One day, a girl comes in on tide. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, with hair like the sun and eyes like the sea. There came a time when he feared she would soon have to leave to return to the sea, so the boy said to the sea: 'Take my life, but do not take my love from me.' And when the time came, the sea remembered."

I looked down to see Raelynn sleeping peacefully, her damp hair strewn about and the scent of her violet and lemon shampoo warming my heart. I gently placed a kiss on the crown of her head before pulling her closer and surrendering to sleep.

* * *

 **I AM SO SORRY THAT IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET THIS OUT! I had a ton of stuff going on and this story got put on the backburner for a (long) while, so I tried to make it up to y'all by putting some angsty fluff in this chapter!**

 **I'm going to try to update this story more often, but I'm busy and forgetful, so don't hold me to that.**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed! (I LOVE getting reviews, by the way)**

 **Until next time xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I am so sorry that this took such a long time. I storyboarded this chapter way back in the beginning of June but never got around to writing it until now.**

 **WARNING: MOST OF THIS CHAPTER'S CONTENT IS HEAVILY INSPIRED BY HORROR AND CREEPYPASTA. IF THIS MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE OR FRIGHTENED, I WILL PUT A SUMMARY OF THE DREAMS IN THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER. I ALSO WILL PROVIDE A LINE BREAK WHERE THE CREEPY/SCARY PART ENDS AND YOU SHOULD BE OKAY TO READ ON FROM THERE.**

* * *

 **Raelynn POV**

 _It was dark out as I was walking, the squeaking of the abandoned swings in the cool night breeze ringing in my ears. I continued through the park and saw no one around. Though most people would have found being alone at night frightening, I found it calming. Without thinking, I turned down a small side street, and that was when I first noticed him. At the far end of the street, on my side, there was a silhouette of a man, dancing. It was a strange dance, very much like a waltz, but with each finished "box" of the dance, he would take an odd step forward, right toward me._

 _I shook my head, deciding this man was most likely either drunk or on some sort of drug. I moved as close as I could to the road, giving the strange man most of the sidewalk. The closer he got, the more I realized how precisely he was moving. He was tall and muscular, and wearing an old military uniform. He continued to dance closer until I could make out his face. His eyes were open and wild, looking off at the sky, so far up that his eyes seemed to roll into the back of his head. His face was-oh, God- falling half off, and underneath there seemed to be another face made of pure red. His mouth was curved into a cartoonishly wide smile, almost too wide to be human. My heart began beating fast and, thoroughly disturbed, I decided to cross the street._

 _I took my eyes off of the dancing man for ten seconds while I crossed the street, making sure I didn't get hit by any late-night commuters. As I reached the other side, I looked back, and my heart dropped. He had stopped dancing and had moved so that he was standing parallel with me, one foot in the street, eyes still rolled back in his head, mouth still smiling wide. Unnerved, I walked a full half block before taking my eyes off of his still figure. I turned around long enough to make sure I wasn't going to run into anyone or anything and when I turned back to make sure the man wasn't following me, I found the place he had previously occupied empty._

 _With my heart beating fast, I looked toward the sidewalk behind me. There, crouching slightly as if he were an animal stalking their prey, was the man. I couldn't tell for sure due to the distance and the darkness, but I knew that he was facing me. I had looked away from him for no more than five seconds, so he had to have moved_ fast _. We stood staring for quite some time before he once again started moving toward me, this time taking large, animated steps as if he were trying to sneak up on me. Except he was moving very, very quickly._

 _At this point, I was frozen in fear. I couldn't make my feet move, it was as if all of my courage had left my body and I stood there shaking, watching the smiling man creep closer and closer. When he stopped again, about ten feet from me, I found enough will power to yell out, "What do you want?"_

 _I heard the fear in my own voice and knew without a doubt that the man heard it too, because as soon as I spoke, he seemed to perk up, his smile somehow growing even wider. Then, after what felt like forever, he turned around very slowly and began dance-walking away. Not wanting to turn my back to him again, I stood and watched him go until he was far enough away that he was almost out of sight._

 _Then I realized something. He wasn't moving away anymore, nor was he dancing._

 _I watched in horror as the distant shape of the man grew larger and larger. He was coming back my way._

 _And this time he was running._

 _Still, I couldn't find it in myself to move my feet, so I stood and watched in horror as this demon of a man reached out with his long, blood-red fingers aimed for my neck. I felt his large hands wrap around my throat, and-_

I shot out of bed.

"Thank God," Pietro said, panting and pale. It was so dark that I could barely make out the silver of his hair in the low light. "I woke when you started tossing, and you would not wake up. Then you started screaming, and-are you alright?"

I nodded, looking off into the middle distance.

"Yeah... I think so," I mumbled, obviously not convincing the speedster.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, laying back down and pulling my head to rest on his chest. I could hear his heart racing and I found myself wondering if that was his natural resting heart rate or if it was because I frightened him.

"No," I shook my head. "I'm just going to try to go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Pietro asked, pulling the thick grey blanket up around the both of us. "I can stay awake with you if you like."

"No," I insisted, "just go back to sleep." With that, Pietro nodded and pulled me closer still, his body radiating heat and his sandalwood and nutmeg scent filling my senses.

Sleep soon welcomed me once again.

 _I was on a small peninsula, the sea on either side of me and in front of me, a large, run down building. My curiosity getting the better of me, I went to investigate. Outside the building was a great iron gate, the dark grey metal rusted brown in some areas. Reaching out, I lifted the clasp, it was left unlocked. A chill ran through me, there was no sign of the wind blowing and an eerie, nearly opaque fog was licking at my ankles. The cold, broken stone beneath me didn't seem to bother my bare feet, nor did the cold seep through the thin fabric of my shirt. Stopping before the main doors, I hesitated. I thought I could see a light shining from inside the building. I pushed the door open, the hinges whining as if they hadn't moved in years._

 _The only thing I could see as I stepped inside was a single long, narrow hallway with the same thick fog from outside collecting at the end. I looked behind me, debating whether or not I should proceed, only to find the doors gone, replaced with the ugly dark green wall as if it had never been there. Gathering my courage and walking forward, I looked to my left and saw a window. Inside was a modern operating room with no door to be found. I continued walking, and the farther I walked, the older the equipment got and more primitive the procedures were. In one room on my right, I saw a doctor wearing what I recognized as a Civil War-era field medic's uniform. He turned toward the window, and looked at me straight in the eye, a smirk playing on his face as he reached into his bag to retrieve his next tool. I looked away quickly before I witnessed anything else._

 _When I finally came to the end of the hallway, the patients' screams were nearly deafening, their anguish and pain reverberating in my head and I knew that I would never get the echo from my memory. Finally, the hallway ended in a single wooden door, hanging slightly open. Swallowing the lump in my dry, scratchy throat I pushed the door open and crept inside, only to be met with a single wooden table where a short, pale, old-looking man was bent over, working on a patient. His woolen medical clothing, stained brown with blood, kept me from seeing much else of his appearance, but when he turned around I was met with a droopy, blood-smeared face and small round glasses. I glanced behind the doctor, only to find the face of the patient was covered, leading me to believe they were dead._

 _The small doctor raised his hand, as if offering me something. Hesitantly, I put my hand beneath his, and he opened his hand, releasing a small, glowing, green gem. As soon as the gem landed in my hand, I heard a loud bang from behind me. I turn around just in time to see the Soldier, the man with the metal arm who gave me hope when Hydra had me, stab one of his many various knives deep into my chest._

* * *

I wake up crying, sobs racking my body. Pietro was nowhere to be seen and I was beginning to freak out. My entire body was shaking and sweat slicked my body. I must have done something to my stitches because the healing cut on my chest was burning as if a hot poker had been placed directly on it. I kicked the blankets off and curled into a ball, clutching my chest in an attempt to stop the searing pain. Just then the door opens, revealing a panicked looking Pietro and a tired, raccoon-eyed Wanda. Pietro's worried blue eyes met mine and in the blink of an eye, he was kneeled in front of me, his hand wrapped around mine. For once, his skin felt cool to the touch and I couldn't tell if he was cold or I was hot, but I chose to believe the latter.

" _Princeza_?" Pietro's cool hand rested on the crown of my sweaty head. "Wanda, she is burning up. Was it another nightmare, _dragi_?"

All I could do was nod, trying to keep my helpless, frightened whimpers from escaping. Every time I closed my eyes, the half red, peeling face of the smiling man would flash behind my eyelids. I fought to keep my eyes open until they were red and watering, only adding to my tears. Every time there was silence, I heard the echos of the men's screams down the hallway of the hospital, and it shook me to my core.

"Raelynn," Wanda's accented voice broke through the screams, "I can use my powers and do the best I can to help you, but I need your permission. May I?"

I nodded as quickly as I could; I just wanted the memories gone. Wanda approached the bed and knelt by my head, her hands hovering near my temples. As I watched, a red, glowing mist seemed to come from her hands, moving toward my head. I closed my eyes, wishing beyond all hope that she could fix this.

"I can't," I heard Wanda mumble. I opened my eyes and saw her head bent down, her beautiful face scrunched in concentration. "For some reason I cannot enter her mind." She dropped her hands and stood up once more, letting out a sigh. "I could get Vision, maybe since he has the Mind Stone, he will have better luck."

I nodded, agreeing with her idea even though I had no idea who this Vision was or what exactly this Mind Stone that he possessed was. Wanda didn't move, and I chanced a confused glance over at Pietro, who was zoned out, his eyes searching my face but his thoughts clearly off somewhere else. I opened my mouth to ask Wanda if she was going to go get this Vision or what exactly was she doing when all of a sudden, a red man walked _through_ the wall.

I whimpered in fear and buried my head in the mattress. Although the red skinned man didn't look exactly like the one in my dream, I was frightened by his presence nonetheless. I felt one of Pietro's cool, large hands rest on my back while the other gently ran through my hair. He leaned close and was whispering to me, trying to calm me down.

"It is okay, _princeza_. I won't let anything hurt you. You don't need to be afraid, I will protect you. It is alright, _moj_ _dragi_ , I'm here."

"Vis, how many times must we talk about this?" I heard Wanda scold, annoyance lacing her accented voice.

"I'm sorry, but the door was open, so I thought that..." Came a distinctly male voice that sounded almost British.

"How many times have I told you, it is rude to walk into someone's room through the wall. Use the door."

"Is this the Raelynn girl whose mind you cannot enter?" Vision asked, stepping closer to me. I told myself that he wasn't the man from my dream and he wasn't going to hurt me and I opened my eyes, finally taking a good look at the man.

I don't know if 'man' is even the correct term to describe what was standing in front of me. He had the body of a man, but his skin looked matte, almost like it was painted metal. He was dressed strangely normal for a robot, wearing thick black cotton pajama bottoms and a long-sleeved blue thermal shirt. On his head were sections of grey metal, coming to a point on his forehead where a yellow gem sat. Looking at his eyes, his pupils were almost shaped like gears, and every few seconds, they would whir and turn as if they were adjusting every time the robot focused on something. I couldn't stop myself before my thoughts took a stroll out of my mouth.

"Where are your ears?" Pietro and Wanda looked at me, surprised. That was the first I had spoken since I woke up. I looked back at the red robot and restated my question, "Why don't you have ears? You have a thing where your ear should be but its covered by metal. I'm confused." I could see Pietro's smartass smirk out of the corner of my eye but I ignored him, looking at the cyborg and waiting for an answer.

"To tell you the truth, I do not know. The... the creature that built me was himself a robot, and thus I can only assume that he saw no need for ears. I have never given it much thought before, actually."

I nodded, not really understanding but not wanting to press the issue. A robot building another robot? It makes no sense.

"You have a strange way of looking at the world, Raelynn. I believe I would very much like to talk with you some more once this is all sorted out so I can get some insight from you." The British cyborg said, walking closer to where I was laying on Pietro's bed.

"I can't tell if that's a compliment or not," I mumbled, though everyone in the room heard me. Vision stepped closer once again and extended his hand over my head, closing his eyes. The stone in his forehead glowed yellow for a brief second before dying back down.

"It seems I cannot enter her mind either," the android said, confused. "It is almost as if something is keeping me out."

* * *

 **Nightmare summaries: *disclaimer, these are not mine, though I did try to keep it as far from plagiarism as I could  
** **1\. "The Smiling Man": Raelynn is walking down the street in the middle of the night when a creepy man who seems to be dance-walking approaches from the other direction. His eyes are pointed toward the sky, so far up that they almost seemed rolled back in his head. His face is twisted into an inhuman, cartoonish smile and half of his face seems to be peeling off, revealing a blood red face beneath. Weird, creepy things ensue and Raelynn wakes up right as the smiling man reaches for her throat.  
2\. "The Hospital": Raelynn stands before an abandoned building and decides to go in. As she walks down the hallway, she sees many various operations taking place, each one getting more primitive and old fashioned as she continued toward the end. At the end of the hallway she finds a door and opens it, revealing a small, round man with circular glasses operating on what appears to be a corpse. He hands her a small green gem and she turns around only to find The Winter Soldier, who buries a knife deep into her chest.**

 **Thanks for reading! I'm sorry if this frightens any of you, but I was feeling it and the dreams are also foreshadowing something that's going to be revealed later in the story. I also apologize for the abrupt ending; this was originally supposed to be two chapters but I decided to combine them and there wasn't really a good place to cut it, so I just kind of went with it.**

 **Thank you so much to all those who followed, favorited, and reviewed! (Keep the reviews coming, I like to know how y'all are liking the story!)**


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